facade
by spadefantasy
Summary: After Kronika takes Liu Kang, Raiden and the others return to the Special Forces in order to tell them about the current situation. When Raiden is informed that past Johnny Cage has gotten hurt, he makes sure to check up on him before proceeding any further. What if something so simple can change everything?


**NOTE: Mortal Kombat and the Mortal Kombat characters do not belong to me but to their respective owners. This one-shot is basically a "what-if" scenario in Mortal Kombat 11. It's just something I thought of for fun after listening to the song "facade" by atlas. This is rated T but also may contain swearing... so please be aware of that! Thanks for reading!**

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Johnny sighs somewhat before he starts to fiddle with the jacket that sits upon his lap. He wasn't quite sure what to do at the moment, so he kept himself busy in fidgeting and looking around the room. He was in a Special Forces base, in medical care, after he had basically gotten his ass handed to him at the Black Dragon's BDSM night club. Sonya and his older self had brought him back here. Now, Old Man Him was focusing on whatever operations he needed to go over SF's involvement with Kronika. He was in whatever room of the SF base. Young Johnny was just being held in a medical room. There was something to this all that made him feel worse than he already had during the tournament.

By the time he and the others had ended up in the plot of Back to the Future, he had already been defeated in the tournament by the hands of Ermac. Hell, he had been eliminated in both tournaments. He sighs again in thinking back on it, realizing that he probably wasn't meant for any of this, but part of him knew it was just his insecurities. He had been insecure about his fighting and style ever since he had been exposed to the tournament seriously and was forced to hide it under heavy, false confidence. It didn't help matters when his own, _older_ self had beat his ass too.

Now, sitting in the medical room of SF, he wonders if he's even important anymore to helping anyone with the Kronika situation. He leans back in his bed and stares at the ceiling, starting to think about everything he had learned earlier. First, he had learned he would marry Sonya. Second, he had learned he would have a daughter with her. Third… he had learned that Sonya would die. He had been oblivious to that until he had actually paid attention to his surroundings. He had realized Sonya didn't have an older twin. His suspicions had been confirmed when he had overheard the fact that Sonya had really lost her life in the line of duty. He gulps then and closes his eyes, furrowing his brows.

He doesn't want to feel this way because this isn't supposed to be his present. He isn't supposed to know what his future holds… or could hold. He hates time travel, he realizes, it was too confusing. He puts his hands over his eyes, it feels like his palms are starting to dig into his eye sockets. He's trying not to let unnecessary tears escape him, but he finds that hard when they already begin to stream down his face. He hurts, emotionally and physically, and is exhausted. He is drained and can't do anything about it.

Outside his room he hears the familiar voices of people he wants to call his friends. He can make out Sonya, Raiden, Jax, and he thinks Cassie and Jacqui, but he can't be for sure. He hears Sonya tell the others what happened to him. He realizes now that he probably isn't needed anymore; this is the third time he's basically gotten himself into trouble. Three strikes means you're out.

His focus of the conversation outside his door is in and out, he's trying to listen to it to keep himself busy from crying but finds it difficult. At one point he hears Raiden say something about Hanzo, at another point, he hears him say something about multiple timelines.

"Kronika has set time over again and again in order to get her way," Johnny hears, "I saw today. Liu Kang and I are destined to always go against each other."

"Well, Baldie's got him now," Cassie pipes in, "The hell are we supposed to do? Either she kills him or you do."

There's a pause. Johnny feels the tense silence from in his bed and it makes his skin crawl. It feels like there's bugs digging into his skin.

Raiden speaks again, "I believe this time will be different. I will go speak to Johnny Cage now and make sure he is well." No one objects to his terms. The door opens but Johnny doesn't pay any mind to it since he already knows who it is. He lets a shaky breath escape him, sitting up as he wipes his tears away. He didn't want Raiden of all people to see he had been crying.

Johnny clears his throat, "Hey."

"How are you doing?" Raiden ask him, walking to the side of Johnny's bed. He looks over the actor's injuries and realizes they're minor. He somehow manages to give the man a gentle smile, lending him one of reassurance. Johnny looks up at the god and tries not to let more tears fall due to the smile. He feels like a failure.

"Fine."

Raiden notices the tone the other takes with him. He knows he isn't fine. "Kronika has taken Liu Kang from us," the god says then, trying to shift Johnny's focus, "We will have to rescue him and plan out how he will defeat Kronika from there."

Johnny realizes that Raiden is suggesting that Liu Kang will be the one to defeat Kronika, just as he suggested he would be the one to defeat Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn. He realizes Raiden still sees Liu Kang as the "Chosen One." The hole in his chest begins to grow more. He wasn't sure why Liu being the important one to Raiden bothered him. Maybe it was because Raiden was the only one to ever see potential in Johnny.

The actor looks away then, "Maybe we shouldn't."

"What do you mean?"

"I heard what you said Raiden," Johnny admits, clenching his jaw then, "You two are always gonna kill each other."

The other finds the circumstance surprising. He wasn't expecting for Johnny to have heard that. He's unsure of what to say. His warrior was caught in a hurricane of emotions.

Johnny stumbles to his feet, falling into his Raiden's chest, who helps him stand up straight. Johnny grips onto his side and winces for a moment before letting a heavy breath escape his nostrils. "For him to be the so-called 'Chosen One' he sure fucks you over a lot," he spits out, "What's he got that the rest of us don't have, huh?"

"Johnny Cage… this is not the time-"

"No, tell me." Johnny narrows his eyes, he can feel his confused sadness twist into pent up anger. Maybe he was jealous of Liu Kang. He couldn't help but feel envious over someone who was treated so well. "Why is he so much better than me, huh? 'Cause I don't think he's got what I got," Johnny pats his chest and lets out a breathless laugh, "I'm Johnny-fucking-Cage." He's standing now as if he were fine, the adrenaline is making him forget the pain he felt earlier.

Raiden is put off by Johnny's behavior. "This isn't about your ego," he says softly, "This is about protecting Earthrealm." Raiden hopes this is enough to calm Johnny down but he realizes what he said was probably the wrong thing, as Johnny looks to grow angrier than he was before at the statement.

Johnny looks Raiden in the eyes. His own eyes are filled with a fiery rage, reminding Raiden of the eyes of Scorpion as he looked into them. "He told me what I am," Johnny begins to explain, "Old Man Me said I came from some… cult… he said you told him that he has powers to fight gods…"

"Johnny-"

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me what the fuck this green shit is?" Johnny's voice cracks as he yells this out. He starts to feel the feeling in his chest that he had earlier. He chokes it down and continues, "Instead you left me in the dark about it!"

Raiden understands Johnny's concerns, he also understands that he made a mistake. He keeps silent because there is nothing for him to say. He is at a lost of words against Johnny's sudden outbreak.

The actor's breathing begins to grow uneven and heavier. His face is red in frustration and rage. He is eyeing a chair that sits on the other side of the room. "Do you know how I've felt this whole time, Raiden?" Johnny whispers, his hands balling into fists. His hands are glowing green as the image of the chair starts to become blurry in his vision. "I felt like I was the worthless outcast of the group. Now I have some kind of magical god powers," he finds himself laughing aimlessly, "I thought I was a fuck up."

"I did not believe you were ready to learn the information yet. I apologize," Raiden replies calmly.

Johnny's eyes lock back into focus on the god, "Let me do it."

"Do what?"

"Beat Kronika," Johnny simply says.

"You are not ready for such a challenge."

Johnny steps forward and pushes at Raiden. He doesn't like that answer. "This is the only thing I can be useful for. Let. Me. Do it," he snarls, "Let me stop being worthless. Let me show you I'm good for something." Johnny pushes at him again, but he begins to stammer over his words. His eyes are misting now. "I don't care how I die, as long as I do it," Johnny lets out finally.

Raiden's eyes widened. The pain in Johnny's eyes are too much to bear. He hadn't seen that in the other defenders yet, it left him with a bitter taste in his mouth. "I am not letting you die, Johnny Cage," he tells the other, grabbing onto his wrists to keep him from pushing again, "Stop behaving like this."

The scolding from the god makes Johnny burst into sobs. His fragile state makes him sensitive to Raiden's tone of voice. The grip on his wrists make him feel like he is being restrained like a mad man. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Fuck, I'm sorry," Johnny feels like he's going to gag on his own tongue, "I'm a fuck up."

"You are not a disappointment," Raiden reminds him.

"This is the third time I screwed up," Johnny responds, "You don't have to keep lying to me…"

The thunder god feels troubled. He sighs and walks Johnny back to his bed, sitting him down so they could talk in a more calm manner. "I would not lie about something like that. You are not a disappointment," Raiden says, "Why are you feeling this way?"

Johnny looks down at his feet. He's feeling this way because he's overwhelmed. He's feeling this way because he knows his future, and he feels as if he will never be able to live up to it. His cracked confidence is starting to crumble around him. "I haven't d-done anything to be useful," he whispers, admitting defeat, "Not compared to—… myself. Oh, my God, Raiden… I'm jealous of myself. Heh, ain't I a piece of work?" Johnny gives a laugh of desperation. He's laughing because he wants to stop crying.

Raiden nods as he listens to the other. He purses his lips as he begins to think on what he could say. Finally, he lets something slip from his mouth.

"You are strong, Johnny Cage. A brave warrior. You have faced things many people would run away from," Raiden starts, "You have not given up hope in me yet, have you?"

"... No. I don't think so," Johnny says.

"Then trust in me when I tell you your time will come."

Johnny nods, "Old Man Me said he helped fight Shinnok. But—…"

"Yes?" Raiden questions.

"Cassie is the one who actually… ya know," Johnny begins to fiddle with his thumbs. He's fidgeting again. His tears are starting to dry up now that he's trying to not think about it anymore.

Raiden knows that Johnny doesn't want to admit how he actually feels about that situation. Due to this, he simply tells him that it's okay. Again, he tells him that his time will come.

Johnny is still unsatisfied. "What if Liu Kang… doesn't do it? What if he's not—… I don't know," he gulps, "If Kronika wants to make a 'New Era' then what happens to us if she wins?"

"I do not want to think about that."

"We all… _poof_, don't we?" Johnny lets out, looking to Raiden in hopes he wasn't right. Raiden says nothing. That confirms that Johnny's theory is correct. This scares the actor, and he realizes he doesn't want that to happen. "You mean… me… Sonya… and their— … _our _daughter just won't exist?"

Raiden gets to his feet. He is done speaking on the topic. "This is not your fight, Johnny Cage," Raiden finally says.

Johnny stiffens. The hair on the back of his neck stands up straight. He feels goosebumps along his skin. "Then why is it Liu Kang's?" Johnny shoots back. Raiden doesn't reply. "I'm going to lose a family I _never _got to have. Hell, this is more of your fight then it ever will be his," he huffs, "Raiden…"

"Silence," Raiden puts his hand out to stop him from talking. He is done now. He is done talking with Johnny. He turns his back to him and begins to walk out of the room, "Get well."

Johnny watches Raiden leave the room. He flops onto his back and wants to let out an annoyed scream, but he decides against it. What if this is a mistake? What if all of this is a mistake?

Raiden is greeted by an empty hallway. The others had walked off to speak about any plans they could potentially use in their next steps against Kronika. Raiden is thinking about what Johnny had said, and he realizes he may be right. The thunder god comes to a conclusion that, if Liu Kang isn't sufficient enough for the fight, then he will have to bring in his secret weapon. Johnny Cage's moment may come sooner than he thought.


End file.
